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Coming Into His Promises
Elaine Tavolacci,
www.awordinseason.info
(A Word In Season)
There is a story In the book of Numbers where the Lord told Moses to send twelve men, one from each of the twelve tribes of Israel to spy out the land of Canaan, which we call the Promised Land. Canaan is a typology of the victorious life of the Christian on this earth. God brought them out of Egypt to bring them in to a land of blessing and that is symbolic for our lives.
Deuteronomy 6:23
Then He brought us out from there, that He might bring us in, to give us the land of which He swore to our fathers.
Ten out of twelve of the spies came back with a bad report because they were looking at the giants in the land rather than the blessings. These are the same men who the Lord did numerous miracles for. He gave them a cloud by day, a fire by night, manna from heaven, quails and He miraculously kept them for forty years. He also parted the Red Sea for them and six million of them walked through the sea on dry ground while God destroyed their enemies. What happened when they went into Canaan to spy out the land? Rather than remembering all that the Lord had done for them, they looked at the adversaries. This is the report that they came back with.
Numbers 13: 33
There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.
They felt defeated because they seen themselves as grasshoppers as they compared themselves to the giants. They also had to deal with the seven “ite’s” which were seven nations, and besides that it had huge walls around it. But did you know that God gave them a promise beforehand back in the book of Exodus? He promised to them that He was going to send hornets to their enemies and He would drive their enemies out little by little and He would deliver the inhabitants of the land into their hand, and they shall drive them out. (See Exodus 23: 27 – 33) Some of you are standing on the brink of Canaan. Jesus has done so much for you in your life but now you are afraid to enter into what He is calling you to. Yes there will be giants in the land as well and ite’s and there may be walls but the same promises are available to you. Two of the twelve spies were Joshua and Caleb that didn’t deny that there were giants in the land but they came back with a different report. This is what they said.
Numbers 13:30
And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.
Joshua and Caleb were not moved by what they had seen. Rather than looking at the circumstances they remembered what the Lord had done for them in the past and what He had promised them. They tried to encourage the congregation.
Numbers 14: 7 – 8
They spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land which flows with milk and honey.
The Israelites never made it in to the land that He promised to them because of their murmuring, complaining, fear and doubt but look what it says about Caleb.
Numbers 14:24
But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it.
I understand that many of you lost your jobs and are having financial difficulties but worrying wont change anything. What you fear you empower. You have to regain your focus on the promises that Jesus has given to you. Where you are spiritually determines what you see. We serve a God that is so much bigger than the recession. When Caleb was 85 years old he was still going strong. He brought you out to bring you in to what He has for you.
Spiritual warfare is a spiritual (non-tangible) battle between opposing forces. The waging of war against an enemy are acts undertaken to destroy the strength of another.
The Webster’s Dictionary definition of warfare:
Military operations between enemies
An activity undertaken by a political unit (as a nation) to weaken or destroy another
Struggle between competing entities
The waging of war against an enemy
In Ephesians 6:12, the Apostle Paul teaches us that we are contending with an enemy. This enemy is an invisible foe. He is our adversary that seeks to oppose God’s plans for us.
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms”.
Many times believers refer to warfare as a position of attack by satan. There are very few of us who are willing to rest in our position with Christ, our rightful place seated with Christ at God’s right hand in the heavenly places far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and wage war against satan. We as followers of Christ must know that in any battle, the Holy Spirit that resides inside of us is greater than that of the world.
When engaged in warfare with the enemy we have to rid ourselves of all ungodly thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors that do not align with Jesus’ teachings preserved for us in God’s word.
Our enemy’s military is made up with armed forces. Satan has an army of demons that are equipped with weapons that works against us to defile, destroy, harass, tempt and attempt to enslave mankind.
2 Corinthians 10:3-4 (NIV)
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the word does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary; they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
These weapons that are used are not physical weapons of flesh and blood, but for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds. By using the weapons of warfare, we are able to put an end to the attacks by our adversary which results in a victorious end.
Before we talk about our spiritual weapons of warfare, I want to first expose some of the weapons that are used by satan and his demonic assailants. Satan uses fear, afflictions, rejection, unbelief or doubt, rebellion, pride, shame and lust as weapons against followers of Christ to defile the hearts of believers in effort to prevent us from fulfilling our destinies. Fear has been his greatest instrument of attack used in the battle and a root issue or strongman in the factor. Fear is the enemy of faith. Fear is bondage.
The enemy uses fear as a weapon against the saints of God. Fear disarms and immobilizes the saints to prevent activity. If in fact a child of God is inactive, He or she is also ineffective for use and therefore is sitting dormant and can not wage warfare against the enemy. Fear is also used in aiding the delays of times and seasons. If you are crippled with fear you will not be able to move into the things of God and therefore enabling the enemy to win over your confidence. In Judges 7:1-8 God commanded Gideon to send those who were filled with fear home. They were not able to confront their enemy in fear. Many Christians have experience this fear in several avenues which has allowed the enemy access of possession and control over them. Fear of public speaking- which results in not answering the call of God for that particular purpose, fear of stepping out on faith- which results in standing still and missing God opportunities to be used by Him, fear of failure- which results in missed accomplishments that overcome obstacles, fear of being alone- which results in not waiting on God for the proper mate or settling for less. This will also allow insecurities and lack of confidence to take root.
Satan wants us to live in bondage to the past and even the future, but God wants us to live in the freedom of His love and power in the present. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of Sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father’”(Rom. 8:15). For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love and of sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:7).
God has given us weapons to counter all satanic influence and activity. We have been given authority over the enemy and the ability to oppose his weapons against us. We must be effective in our warfare. So let’s move into what some of our weapons are against the enemy. You may find that God has given you more weapons and even different ones, this is simply what the Holy Spirit led me to use while on the front lines of engaging war against the enemy. I’ve called them my 5 stones to defeat the giant.
Praise- Satan and demons just hate hearing people praise God. Praise releases the presence of God in a way that satan cannot resist. And we know that in His presence there is fullness of joy according to Psalm 16:11. Praise silences the enemy. Psalm 8:2 When the devil comes at you with his weapons of doubt, fear, rejection, you have to lift you voice and praise God anyhow. It’s a difficult thing at times when your soul has been crushed. Or even when you feel as though it’s the end of the world. But when using your weapons of warfare, there is no time for emotionalism. You are in a battle. You have to focus only of truth and that’s the truth of God’s word and what He has already said about your circumstances.
The Word of God- When Jesus was tempted by the enemy in Luke 4:1-13 he overcame the enemy by using the Word of God. One of the reasons why Jesus was so effective in this victory over satan was that He knew what God’s word said. Not only was He is the Word made flesh. I found it very interesting how satan thought he knew what he could say in his attempts of temptations. He also knew God’s word. In fact he knew the Word before the Word became flesh. He even attempted to use God’s Word against Jesus. If you are going to be effective in your spiritual battle you must know the Word of God and know how to use His Word in the proper context. Don’t just be quoting scriptures for any occasion. Know the scriptures to declare for that given circumstances. If satan came to you with thoughts of feeling unworthy and worthless, made you feel as though you was less than the dirt you’ve walked on and tried to tempt your into worldly living in effort to serve him. Don’t start quoting scriptures like. “give and it shall be given unto you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your lap.” But declare that you are fearfully and wonderfully made, you are a child of the Most High God. You are more than a conqueror, You can do all things through Christ which strengthens you. You are not conformed to this world, but you are transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Amen? When we study and meditate on the Word of God that word becomes alive in us. The Word gives us victory over satan. Know the word to be more effective in spiritual warfare.
Prayer- Proverbs 8:34-35 Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoever finds me finds life, And obtains favor from the Lord; Prayer is simply communicating with God. The importance of communicating with God in spiritual warfare is that when you release your concerns God is able to fill you with solutions. He imparts revelation into you that will give you the answers to whatever problem at hand. When communicating with God, He will release wisdom to you so that you will know the proper steps to take in a matter. Proverbs 15:29 states The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous. The Lord is a God of justice, He will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry when he hears it he will answer you.
The Name of Jesus- Jesus has the name above all names. I found it very effective to just say the name of Jesus. There is so much power in the name Jesus. There is great authority exercised when using the name of Jesus. By using the name of Jesus you are using authority over all that His name represents. What does His name mean to you? Philippians 2:9-11 “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Ephesians 1:18-25 “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparable great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority , power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”
Fasting- Fasting when done according to the Word of God is a very powerful weapon to use. “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Isaiah 58:6 Fasting is a lifestyle for a spirit filled believer. I have applied God’s instructions on fasting to my lifestyle and have seen remarkable results, spiritually, physically, emotionally and financially. When engaged in warfare, fasting will enable you to successfully view God’s plans in any given circumstance. Even if God leads you to just fast for whatever purpose, fasting will pierce through darkness and lift false burdens from your path. I’ve also notice that fasting is a cure for busyness. Often times people become “too busy” for the things of God and are consumed with the cares of the world. Fasting will redirect your focus to a purposeful life with God. It was during a 21 day fast that I was able to purchase my home after trying three years. I didn’t fast to get anything, but while fasting I was prompted by the Holy Spirit to begin the process. While fasting, the Holy Spirit will lead you to make the proper decisions that are in alignment with God’s plans for that season of your life. Meditate on Isaiah 58 when fasting.
It is my prayer that God will continue to bless you and release revelation as you walk with Him on your journey!
by Pastor Joh.W.Matutis, (Berlin / Germany)
While praying this morning, God gave me a vision.
He showed me a great, world-wide “mobilization”
I saw myself strolling along a beach. Suddenly, there sounded a loud boom,
which became stronger and more massive.
It was not the noise of the sea or of the wind. It was completely still
outside. The sea water was as smooth as glass. The deep booming sound which
was like the sound of the mountains about to cave in, a banging sound which
I had up till now never heard in my whole life, came from the other side of
the ocean, from far away. It became so strong and mighty, that the earth
began to quake and shake. It sounded like the blasting of a deep bass
trumpet. I had never heard this sort and depth of bass sound before now.
The whole air vibrated.I holed myself up in the dunes of the embankment,
face down, and waited to see what would come out of this natural spectacle.
When the booming refused to stop, and instead became stronger, I saw myself
begin to pray in the vision, and to speak with my God. Then I heard a voice
saying, “my child, fear not. That is my mobilization call, a signal, from
the other world. I am calling my people out from all peoples. I myself am
shaking the earth and the sea. The sinners and godless will pass away for
fear and the fearful expectation of the things which are to come.
Understand, my child, that all these have been initiated by the financial
crises. That was just the beginning of ruin. The foundation of today’s
society will be so shaken that the people will lose all that they have
acquired, and saved up till now.
Every infrastructure and welfare will collapse with time.
Life will be very difficult for very many people.
The general security will get out of control and there will be a proliferation
of crime such that life on earth will be massively threatened.
But you, who fear my name will I save from ruin. I am holding my arm of
protection over you.
Although not even a silent wind blew, and not even a small wave was seen on
the sea, the booming was so mighty, that my heart threatened tostop beating.
Then I thought to myself, “I will now also die”. And then the Lord said to
me, “my child, do not fear. You are to live and continue to declare my works.
Arise, go home and tell your loved ones. Let them know that the coming of my
son is very close at hand, at the doorstep. I am setting everything in motion
in order to take my people home, and I am now stripping them of everything
that is holding them back, or blocking them.
As I stood up to obey God’s voice, starting to make my way homewards,
I saw very many people, lying in the dunes. They had come out from their
houses, racing towards the sea to see and experience this extraordinary
natural spectacle. They lay on their faces as if paralysed, exactly as I had
lain a few minutes before now. As I passed by them on my way home, despite
the continuous distant booming sound, these people called to me saying “you
are crazy; you cannot make it home in this situation. It is too dangerous”.
They then buried their heads even further in the dunes, because they feared
what would happen next. They no longer wanted to hear or know of anything.
And then said the Lord to me: “for you, my children, who fear my name, this
is the day of my “mobilization”. For you my “sun of salvation” arises, with
which I gather my true children, and bring them together.
Go, my son, and tell this everyone you can reach”.
Then I asked the Lord “what shall I tell them?”
“Tell my children, He said”, “they are no longer to occupy themselves with
perishable things, but rather, much more with the immortal, the eternal
things. They are to seek me and study my word. They should forgive one
another, so long as there is still time, and make peace with one another.
They should stop being envious of , and pointing fingers at one another.
They should neither accuse nor suspect one another.
Everyone should do what he is supposed to, and can do.
Tell them to free themselves of every unnecessary thing, and to stop fighting
spasmodically (intermittently) for their rights. From now on, I will ensure
your rights, and provide justice for you. Great changes are about to
occur all over the world, in every area of life. Adjust yourselves therefore
and be prepared. Nothing is going to be as it has been before now…”
The further I moved from the beach, the less of the booming sound I heard,
even though I was of the opinion that the sound had become stronger and even
more massive. I felt as if I had been secured in a class case.
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying “I will bring my children into
safety in my own way. You will see everything I will do in the world, which
will experience all the “plagues of Egypt” before I withdraw my children unto
myself, before Pharaoh releases you forever. My people hold together! Stay
with one another, encourage one another. Soon, you would have made it!”
That was the last thing I took with me from this vision.
As I thought about all that I had seen, and what I should do with it, the Lord
spoke to me saying “spread this revelation I have given you this morning
about my “mobilization” overall further to my children, and encourage them to
do likewise, for I am at the door (I am coming soon). And tell them,
especially my people, that they should be serious about their relationship
with me (God), before it is too late….”
Do help me spread this message overall. Send it to your friends and
acquaintances. Spread it your churches and house fellowships.
Translate it into other languages.
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh.”
(2 Corinthians 10:3)
Do you know why so many believers are losing the battles in their lives?
They’re fighting the wrong enemy!
They’ve been deceived into believing that just because a person said or did something to hurt them, that person is the one they need to fight. But they’re wrong.
You see, the Bible says we don’t wrestle with flesh and blood. And since people are definitely flesh and blood, they’re never the source of our problem.
“But, Brother Copeland, you just don’t know what So-and-so did to me!”
It doesn’t matter. If you waste your time fighting So-and-so, your real enemy will get away scot-free.
Who is that real enemy? Look at Ephesians 6:12, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
Satan and his demons. They are your lifelong enemies! They are behind every personal affront you encounter.
The people who hurt you and persecute you are only Satan’s tools. When he wants to strike out at you, he uses them to get the job done.
Remember this: Persecution is not the manifestation of another person’s hate for you. It’s a manifestation of Satan’s fear of you. When you get into the Word and start swinging it around–using it like the sword of the Spirit it is–he gets scared. So he looks for some person he can send in there to stop you.
Next time someone hurts you, don’t let yourself get sidetracked into fighting them. Bind the spirit behind them. Put flesh and blood battles behind and war with the weapons of the Spirit. Zero in on Satan with authority and the Word of God and bring your real enemy down!
Scripture Study: Ephesians 6:10-18
